After the 8.9 earthquake hit Japan early this morning, and a tsunami washed into parts of the northeast region of Japan, helicopters captured this amazing footage of a whirlpool offshore. LIsten to the BBC's Humphrey Hawksley explain why.

Amazingly, there's a boat caught in it.

All we know is it looks like a scene from a Michael Bay movie.

For the rest of our coverage of the devastating earthquake in Japan, go here.